Half to t



(No Model.)

0. A...v LORD. TROLLEY GATGHEIL- No. 498,355. Patented May 30,1893.

I mimTa CAW Q1 an-L m: "cams PETERS o0, Puo'raLwHd. WASHMUYON. o c.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. LORD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO T. A. KIRKPATRICK, ()F SAME PLACE.

. TROLLEY-CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,355, dated May so, 1893.

Application filed July 12, 1892. Serial No.- 439,772. (No model.) C

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Lonma citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented anImproved Trol ley-Rope Check and Trolley-Pole Controller for Electric Cars, of which the" following is a specification. My inventionhas for itsobject mainly to provide a device or attachment for "general" use on electric-roads ofthe over-head-ebn-j ductor plan or system to controlthe trolley-- pole and prevent injuryto the conducting wire or its supports as well as tothe'pole it wire.

self whenever the trolley flies off or leaves the To such end and object theinyention consists of a rope-reel of novel construction which is adapted to take up the slack of the trolleyrope and keep it in a state of tension without drawing the trolley away from the wire under the inequalities of the track,"*and in a combination therewith a supplemental-pr auxiliary winding power whichisno'rm-ally out of engagement with-the reel but which is' applied to the reel whenever the 'trolleyj umps or, leaves the conducting-wire, and 'When so applied it acts to wind up the't'rolley -rope on 5 the reel and thereby draw down the trolleypole closely to the car. I I The following description explains the na-. ture of my said invention and the manner in which I proceed to construct and produce a device or attachment in accordance with my invention, for the purpose described; refer ence being had to the drawings that accom-.

pany and form part of this specification. 1

Figure 1 represents my invention applied to the trolley-rope onan electric car of ordistruction more clearly. Fig. 3 is a cross-secbarrel onithe right-hand of the line 00 as with p the spring removed. Fig. 6 is a cross-section I throughthe-same on the vertical center line" y y Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is afront viewof' the wind ,ing disk that forms part of the spring-barrel and also a clutch to'connect'the barrel to the spool. Fig.8 is a'one-half'vertical cross-section through-this disk on" the line 2. .2 Fig." 7. j I Fig. 9- isatop-view on a'reduced scale, of thelloofv bracket or. supportzon the car; and Fig. 10 is 1a side-view} o'n an enlarged; scale of the outer "endsportio'n cran bracket an 1 the socket'for' U the axleatthatv'endyy I a spool fitted'looselytoturn dnran afxie' t, c B,'and C C arecircular disks of metalformw ing the headset the'spool; The" axle has 1' squared portions B 13 at the ends and the refor the spool toturnon.

maining, portionbetween theen'ds g n e r. I I I I .1770, D is a drum or barrelfixed on] the squared Part B of the shaft with a deeprim in-which-f f .thehead C-of the spool is fitted to turn,and

E is a coil-spring'havii-i'g one endfs'ecured to. I

a hub C on thefdisk .C and the'other end 'at-f tachedinlike manner to 'thebar'rel atd. The

barrel is fixed 'onthe square portionB of the axle, and consequentlythepowerofthe spring I E is exerted onv the spook- The trolley-rope is laid. on the spool in several turnsandis ordinary movements of the pole produced by inequalities in the track. The spring isreg so I kept-taut bythe force of the spring under all f I ulated to keep the rope about taut and yet allow the-pole to rise and .fall under any ir-. regularities in the track without leaving the conducting-wire. F is a drum or barrel. on

the opposite end of the axlealso stationary with reference to spring G in this barrel F is attached at one end to the rim of the barrel at g and at the opposite end to the hub h of a circular plate or disk H setting into the rim of the barrel and turning loosely on the axle.

I are spring pawls or dogs on the disk H engaging with a circle of ratchet teeth or pins NNin the rim of the barrel, and L L' are clutch pins or stops projecting from the outer IOO- 1 2S y teeth N, and the disk H is releasedfrom the face of the plate H and taking into recesses in the face of the head O of the spool when the plate is thrown forward and against that end of the spool.

Holes or recesses at mm Fig. 2 are made in the face of the spool head (J at proper distance from the axis to receive the pins of the clutch disk II. The pawls I are pivoted in slots in the disk II and their lower endst' set out beyond the face of the disk as shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 8.

Under ordinary conditions of adjustment when the trolley is running properly on the conducting-wire the barrel F containing the spring G is held back out of engagement; but

.whenever a sudden or extraordinary strain 1 barrel and the spring Gis free to act. The power of this spring is suiticient to d raw down the trolley-pole. To hold this power out of action and tothrow it into action by a sudden I strong pull or any excessive strain on the trolley-rope, I have employed with good results the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, consisting of a spiral spring P at the back of the barrel F acting to press it forward against the head O of the spool, and a pivoted latchR set in a slot in the axleto hold back the barrel against the reaction of the i spring P.

A stationary plate or collarP", fastened on the square portion of the axle forms a bear- I ing for the base of the spring P, andtheforward end of the spring sets against the back of the barrel F. The latch is pivoted at R in a slot in the axle, and hasa tooth or latch portion R that projects on the inside of the barrel in front of the hub or opening through which the axle passes, while the outer end of the latch terminates in a projecting portion R also standing beyond the axle, for depressing the latch. A spring R under the latch holds it in position for action.

The bracket or support S to carry the reel is fixed at the end of the car-roof in any suitable position which will keep the rope from chafing, and both ends of the car are provided with a bracket in those cases of application and use where the trolley-pole requires to be reversed in switching the car from the track to another or turning the car end for end. These two positions of the trolley-pole are represented by the full lines and the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

\Vhen the reel is placed in its bracket or support on the car the square portions 13 B at the ends of the axle set into bearings of corresponding shape to keep the axle from turning, and the bearing for the end B where the latch is located is properly shaped to let in the projecting part B of the latch as well as the axle, and this part R rests directly against the top of the hearing or socket as shown in Fig. 10. In this position the latch R will hold back the barrel F as long as the reel receives an ordinary amount of tension or pulling force of the trolley-rope, but under extraordinary pull or strain, such as would result when the trolley flies off the con ducting-wire, the latch R will be depressed by the sudden upward movement of the axle and thus release the barrel F. At such move- I The spokes or knobs I on the rim otthedisk H are prov-idedfor the pnrposeof windinjgup the spring. I

or for removing the reelfrom the bracket to I shift it from one end to the other of the car.

In the present constructionlhaveapplied four of theseknobs to the disk at points equi distant on the edge, and two ofthem are fixed on the ends of the pawls I or are extensions of theouter ends of the pawlsr I do not confine myself however. to this particular construction of winding means, norm the number and arrangement of. pawls before described, and shown in the drawings, as [the number may be greater or less according to I the strength of the spring employed.

When this device is applied for operation I the end of the trolleyropeis permanently at- I tached to the spool and isthen laid in as many turns as is found necessary to take up the slack and give light tension on the rope,

and at such time also the spring barrel F is to be wound and set up for action.

To handle and set the trolley-pole as well as to shift it from one end of the car to the other the reel is unshipped from the bracket and held in the hands.

As thus constructed and applied the device is almost instantaneous in its action, as the trolley-rope is kept always in a state of tension and in condition to respond to the movement of the reel when the spring-barrel Fbe- I gins to act. I

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by and mechanism actuated or the strain or pull of the rope,

set in motion'by as described, and

throwing said spring into the reel to wind the rope, substantially as set forth.

2. In'a trolley-rope attachment, the combination, of a spring-reel adaptedto take up the slack and hold the rope in tension, abarrel containing a supplementary-spring supplying the necessary power to wind up the rope, a clutch adapted to look the spring barrel and spring-reel applied to hold the spring-barrelout of action under ordinary strain or tension of the rope, v

and actuated by an excessive strain or pull of the rope on the reel to lock the spring-ban rel to the reel, substantiallyas described;

3. In a trolley rope attachmentthe combination, of a reel to which the rope isattached,

a tension-spring holding the rop'e'in tension,

together, and mechanism to operate as set forth.

and'a stationary-support on the car having In testimony that'l claimthe foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

V I CHAS. A. LORD. IL. 8.] Witnesses: w 7

CHAS. E. KELLEY, EDWARD. E. OSBORN.

and latch R, applied 30 

